camp out for the night, Ratty quietly reminisces about his home by the river, but declines Mole's suggestion that they return, needing to keep Toad out of trouble. The following day, disaster strikes as a passing motorcar spooks Alfred and sends the caravan crashing into a ditch. Toad impulsively decides that motor cars are his calling in life after seeing one go so fast, and he derides the "nasty, common, canary-coloured cart" as antiquated, proclaiming that motorcars are the only way to travel. Ratty and Mole can do nothing but look on as Toad buys and quickly crashes his cars one after another. As Summer and Autumn go by, Toad has been getting into trouble with the law. He repeatedly gets fined for his reckless driving, but Toad doesn’t care because of his immense wealth. He soon starts ending up in hospital in some instances, and Ratty and Mole fear Toad is going to get badly injured or worse, and are even more worried he will hurt someone else. After nearly crashing into some children, they try and help Toad but he’s too naive and silly to listen. By Winter, Ratty and Mole have had enough of trying to help Toad and decide to call on Badger to see if he can discipline Toad's enthusiasm for reckless driving. Ratty says it's too late in the day to go to the Wild Wood as it is getting dark, so Mole sets out alone to find Badger after Ratty falls asleep in front of the fire. Mole reaches the border of the Wild Wood and encounters a weasel on the path. Forgetting Ratty’s advice never to trust the weasels, he asks for directions to Badger's house and is sent the wrong way. As night falls, he becomes lost and confused by the strange sights and sounds of the woods. The weasels begin stalking him, and the terrified Mole stumbles over tree roots in his desperation to get away. Lying exhausted in the snow, he calls out for Ratty, who is awakened by the crackling fire back at the riverbank. He reads a note left by Mole, explaining where he has gone. Fearing the worst, Ratty takes a brace of pistols and a cudgel and bravely enters into the Wild Wood. After some time searching, he finds a weakened Mole, who has literally stumbled across Badger's house, having tripped on a door scraper